“Oh, Mr. Brice,” and the girl burst into tears, “Jenny said——”

“Well,” I urged, as she hesitated, “what did Jenny say?”

“Don’t you know anything about it?”

“About what?” I asked, trying to be casual.

“Why, about Mr. Gately.”

“And what about him?”

“He’s gone! Disappeared!”

“Amos Gately? The president of the Puritan Trust Company! Minny, what do you mean?”

“Why, Mr. Brice, only a little while ago, I took Jenny down. She was crying like everything and she said that Mr. Gately had been shot!”

“Shot?”

“Yes, that’s what she said——”

“Who shot him?”

“I don’t know, but Jenny was nearly crazy! I told her to go to the lunchroom,—that’s where the girls go when off duty,—and I said I’d come to her as soon as I could. I can’t leave my car, you know.”

“Of course not, Minny,” I agreed; “but what did Jenny mean? Did she see Mr. Gately shot?”

“No, I don’t think so,—but she heard a pistol fired off, and she—she——”

“What did she do?”

“She ran into Mr. Gately’s private office,—and, he wasn’t there! And then she—oh, I suppose she hadn’t any right to do it,—but she ran on to his own personal room,—the one where she is never allowed to go,—and there wasn’t anybody there! So Jenny was scared out of her senses, and she ran out here,—to the hall, I mean,—and I took her downstairs,—and oh, Mr. Brice, I’ve got to stop at this floor,—there’s a call,—and please don’t say anything about it,—I mean don’t tell I said anything—for Jenny told me not to——”

I saw Minny was in great perturbation, and I forebore to question her 

 Prev. P 12/170 next